World Music CD Reviews Reggae & Caribbean

Busy Signal (aka Reanno Gordon) has a knack for creating slick dancehall hits. His latest release offers a smattering of catchy tracks with danceable beats and aggressive choruses. “Where I’m From” has Busy spitting out rhymes at illegal speeds, while “Everybody Busy” hits like a prizefighter. Step Out is a spirited dancehall release with perfect production, a good mix of reggae, hip-hop/R&ampB and dance hits, and includes guest appearances from Mavado, Bounty Killer and Kris Kelly. “That Bad,” one of his cleverest tracks, is a veritable mashup, incorporating bits and pieces of songs by everyone from Akon and Young Jeezy to Ray Charles, the Fugees, Sean Paul and Beenie Man. “Do The Maths” rolls like a Busta Rhymes tune, and Busy shows off a great singing voice on “Mammy,” a tribute to his mother “for bearing with a son like me.”